Boxed in from all sides: a global fit to loopy dark matter and neutrino masses

TL;DR

This paper presents a comprehensive global analysis of a loop-mediated dark matter-neutrino interaction model, constraining its parameters across multiple experimental and observational data sets, and highlighting its viability for dark matter masses from 10 MeV to a few TeV.

Contribution

It introduces a novel global fit approach to a loop-induced dark matter-neutrino model, incorporating diverse constraints and exploring parameter space viability.

Findings

Dark matter masses from 10 MeV to a few TeV are viable.

Sub-GeV dark matter masses are favored for neutrino mass generation.

Large couplings are permitted due to loop suppression.

Abstract

We investigate a dark matter model that couples to the standard model through a one-loop interaction with neutrinos, where the mediator particles also generate neutrino masses. We perform a global fit that incorporates dark matter relic abundance, primordial nucleosynthesis, neutrino mass, collider and indirect detection constraints. Thanks to the loop suppression, large couplings are allowed, and we find that the model parameters are constrained on all sides. Dark matter masses from 10 MeV to a few TeV are allowed, but sub-GeV masses are preferred for the model to also account for the heaviest neutrino mass. Though our results are valid for a single neutrino mass eigenstate at a time, the model and methods are generalizable to the full 3-flavor case.